Bridge attaching device



`lune 25, 1,963

Filed NOV. 15, 1960 c. R. BAIN ETAL BRIDGE ATTACHING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS C/mr/ves f?. Bai/1 M/f//iam E. //rfz mman/yy ATTORNEY c. R. BAIN ETAL 3,094,946

BRIDGE ATTACHING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i June 25, 1963 Filed Nov. l5, 1960 una@ This invention relates in general to the transportation of freight, and more particularly to a resilient device or mechanism for attaching bridges or trackways for the transfer of highway truck trailers and similar large wheeled containers between railway llat cars and other vehicles or platforms.

The term bridge in railway car construction is applied generally to any channel, plate, bar or beam structure which is supported at both ends and is used to close a gap. In so-called piggyback operations, for example, it is necessary to provide bridges between the ends of adjacent dat cars to permit the truck trailers to be loaded successively onto the cars in longitudinal order.

It is an object of this invention to provide a safe, strong, and reliable device for resiliently and pivotally attaching a bridge member at one end of a railway flat car or other vehicle to permit such piggyback use.

Another object is to provide a self returning double acting spring mechanism which will permit an ample range of angular movement to `a bridge pin.

Additional objects, purposes and advantages of this invention will appear hereinafter in the specification and drawings, and in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one-half of one end of a flat car which incorporates the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and showing the mechanism in its neutral position;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal transverse section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

IFIG. 4 is an end view of the portion of the car shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional similar to FIG. 2 but showing in broken lines the extreme positions of the parts in service; and

FIG. 6` is a vertical detail section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 1 showing the bridge plate support.

It will be initially understood that any ordinary type of substantially horizontal channel or plate (not shown) may serve in accordance with this invention as one of the bridge members, so long as it is terminally provided with at least one positioning pin 1 which projects downwardly. Such bridge members may be conventionally utilized in parallel pairs with the proper spacings to serve as wheel carrying trackways. Said bridge members may have conveniently placed supporting roller means (not shown), and the pin 1 may be either laterally offset or centered beneath the bridge means.

At least one end of the bridge member will be provided with such a vertically depending pin 1 consisting of a round bar with fa tapered bottom end 2, which pin is adapted to be inserted in an upwardly extending tubular socket .3. Said socket 3 is yieldably mounted adjacent the coupler 4 at an end of the underframe 5 of a flat car, the latter preferably also having a bridge support plate 6 which is rmly mounted and supported on the end sill 7 level with the car floor plate 8. Apertures 9 and 10 in the oor plate 8 and end sill 7 are provided to permit the device to rock freely back and forth, and there is an upright forwardly open U-shaped guide 11 of welded plate with downwardly curved ends 12, said guide extending around the iloor plate aperture 9 on three sides.

v'arent The tubular socket 3 is preferably formed of a heavy steel pipe which is welded on opposite sides between somewhat longer and parallel depending fiat bars 13. Said ilat bars 13 constitute arm members which are individually suspended through the floor plate aperture 9 by laterally extending round pivot rods 14 and 15. The shorter round rod 14 is journaled in one leg of the guide 11, and the other rod 15 is journaled at opposite ends in the other leg of said guide and in bearings 16 secured to the side sill 17. Said rods 14 and 15 are secured in place by through pins 18 and 19. The upright guide 11 thereby serves as support means for the flat bars 13 functioning as suspension arms for the soci-:et 3.

The lower ends of the flat bars 13 are pivotally connected as by standard hex head bolt 2t? and stop nut 21 to the pinched and partially flattened oval end 22 of a normally horizontal length of extra heavy pipe 23, upon whlch in longitudinally spaced relation are welded the two 'coilars 24 and 25. The opposite end of said pipe 23 projects rearwardly through a somewhat larger circular hole 26 in the front portion of a U-shaped plate member 27, having rearwardly bent and vertical parallel side portions 28 with round holes 29 in which short portions of pipe 30 are seated as bearings for the bolts 31 in aligned holes 32 in spaced parallel brackets 33. Said bolts 31 with washers 3ft and stop nuts 35 serve to pivotally attach said side portions 23 between said brackets 33. These parallel brackets 33 extend vertically downward from the car from the floor plate 3, to which they are welded and are rrnly secured against longitudinal displacement by the horizontal flat plate 36 and the abutting U-shaped plate cross-member 37 under the oor plate 8.

The pipe 23 extends also through apertures in flat plates 33 and 39, between which is positioned a heavy coil spring 4d which encircles said pipe 23. This spring 4d biases the plates 38 `and 39 strongly against the collars 24 and 25, after the manner of a standard railway buffer. It is held under suitably tight compression by stop nuts 41 on endthreaded rods d2 on opposite sides of said spring and connecting the flat plate 3S to the front portion of the U- shaped plate member 27, which functions as a tilting abutment member for the spring 49. The pin 1 is thus enabled to tilt as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5 for protection against damage from sudden shocks.

This invention provides for the easy insertion and firm gripping of the bridge pin 1 in its socket 3. The pin and socket are allowed to rook sumciently freely and ilexibly to accommodate any ordinary angular movement of the bridge, 'and the socket returns automatically to vertical upon withdrawal of the pin.

Although the invention has been described hereinabove in considerable detail, it is not desired that it be limited narrowly to the exact and specic particulars described, but there may also be used such other substitutes, modiiications or equivalents thereof as are embraced within the scope and spirit of the invention or pointed out in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A device for securing a bridge pin, comprising, in combination,

(a) a vehicle having a iloor with a vertically extending aperture therein near an end thereof to receive a bridge pin,

(b) upright support means secured to the oor on opposite sides of said aperture,

(c) arm means pivotally secured to the support means for allowing movement in a vertical plane,

(d) a pin receiving socket secured parallel to said arm means,

(e) said arm means and socket extending through the aperture and below the floor,

(f) a bracket secured beneath the oor and spaced v from the aperture, and

(g) resilient means secured to the bracket and to the lower end of the arm means to hold the socket yieldably inV normally vertical position and to return it to said position after any deflection therefrom.

2. A device for securing 1a bridge pin, comprising, in

combination,

(a) a vehicle having a oor with a vertically extending aperture therein near an end thereof to receive la bridge pin,

(b) upright support means secured to the oor on opposite sides of said aperture,

(c) a pair of arms pivotally secured to said support means for allowing movement in a vertical plane, (d) a pin receiving socket positioned between and parallel to said pair of arms and secured thereto,

(e) said arms and socket extending normally vertically through the aperture and below the floor,

(f) a bracket attached beneath the floor and spaced rearwardly from the aperture,

(g) an abutment member pivotally mounted on said bracket, and

(h) resilient cushioning means operatively secured to said abutment member and to said pair of arms for resisting angular displacement of said arms and causing their return to vertical after any such displacement.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which said resilient cushioning means comprises (a) a normally horizontal member having its forward end pivotally attached to the lower end of said pair of arms, and its rear end secured to said abutment member, and

(b) a compression spring encircling said normally horizontal member and positioned between the abutment member and said pair of arms.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,099,288 Allen Nov. 16, 1937 2,372,574 Haynes Mar. 27, 1945 2,677,141 Senn May 4, 1954 

1. A DEVICE FOR SECURING A BRIDGE PIN, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, (A) A VEHICLE HAVING A FLOOR WITH A VERTICALLY EXTENDING APERTURE THEREIN NEAR AN END THEREOF TO RECEIVE A BRIDGE PIN, (B) UPRIGHT SUPPORT MEANS SECURED TO THE FLOOR ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID APERTURE, (C) ARM MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURED TO THE SUPPORT MEANS FOR ALLOWING MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE, (D) A PIN RECEIVING SOCKET SECURED PARALLEL TO SAID ARM MEANS, (E) SAID ARM MEANS AND SOCKET EXTENDING THROUGH THE APERTURE AND BELOW THE FLOOR, (F) A BRACKET SECURED BENEATH THE FLOOR AND SPACED FROM THE APERTURE, AND (G) RESILIENT MEANS SECURED TO THE BRACKET AND TO THE LOWER END OF THE ARM MEANS TO HOLD THE SOCKET YIELDABLY IN NORMALLY VERTICAL POSITION AND TO RETURN IT TO SAID POSITION AFTER ANY DEFLECTION THEREFROM. 